Chapter 11

"Hey Beautiful, how was your shopping trip?" Les asked me as I got off the elevator on 5.

"It was really good Les. Is Carlos, errr, Ranger in his office" I asked stumbling over my words.

I wasn't sure if Carlos wanted me to call him that in front of his men. I had always called him Ranger but that was before he became my lover and my fiancée.

I felt my neck tingle and warm arms wrapped around my waist from behind. "Babe you can call me Carlos in front of everyone," he said with a chuckle.

"I love hearing my name come out of your hot little mouth," he told me in a low voice that only I could hear. I shivered from head to toe.

"Are you done with your paper work Carlos? I need to talk to you upstairs," I told him in a serious voice.

"Everything okay, Babe?" he asked me in a concerned voice.

"Everything is fine Baby. I just have some stuff I need to tell you," I whispered in his ear.

"I just finished the last of it and was headed up to 7," he told me as we started walking back into the elevator.

"Do you need to get your stuff out of your truck?" he asked before pushing the button for 7.

"No we can get it after lunch. I really need to get up to the apartment and talk to you," I told him in a husky voice. He pulled me back against his chest, in our normal elevator position, for the short ride up to our apartment. I used my key to open the door and dropped them and my purse on the side table. I kicked off my shoes and headed for the living room. Carlos headed to the kitchen to grab a couple of bottles of water. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me down on the couch beside him.

"Babe, what's got you so upset?" he asked as I took a drink of my water. I got up and began to pace.

"Babe you're scaring me," he said looking at me with worried eyes.

I stopped pacing and looked him in the eyes. "I need to tell you something and I need you to listen until I'm done because this is hard for me," I told him as tears welled up in my eyes.

"Babe whatever it is you know I love you," he told me as he waited for me to continue.

Taking a deep breathe I looked at him and said, "Carlos I owe you a huge apology. I have treated you very unfairly and for that I am so sorry. I judged your actions base on the actions of other men in my life. It took you giving me your credit card and a few well placed worlds from Mary Lou for me to realize you do all the things you do for me because you love me, not because you want to change me or control me." As I took a deep breathe I had tears streaming down my face and I was having a hard time continuing.

"I don't ever want you to think I don't appreciate everything you do for me or give me because I do. I promise to do better in the future when you want to spoil me or give me things," I said smiling at him thru my tears.

He let out a huge breath that I don't think even he realized he was holding and gathered me in his arms kissing away my tears. "Babe, remember there is no price for what we give each other. I've always wanted to spoil you and now I'll get to do it for the rest of our lives," he said as I laid a very passionate lip lock on him.

"Thank you Carlos, I couldn't ask for a better man to love and have spoil me. As Mary Lou so eloquently put it I AM a Lucky Bitch," I said grinning against his lips.

"That must make me a Lucky Bastard then," he said laughing as he pulled me back into his chest for a very hot kiss.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed tightly up against his chest. We held each other tight and just kissed. I love the feel of Carlos pressed up against me. I love the feel of his beautiful lips against mine. I love the feel of his weight as he's lying on top of me. I love the feel of him pressed up against my back. I love the feel of him inside of me.

Face it I just love the feel of him period.

When we finally pulled apart Carlos sat back down on the couch and pulled me onto his lap. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips to his. He gently parted mine with his tongue and ran it along my bottom lip. I moaned my pleasure as his tongue began to dance with mine.

A slow, sexy, sensual dance. Carlos is the best kisser. I could sit for hours and kiss him. He seemed to be content to hold me and kiss.

After what seemed like hours, but actually only about 45 minutes, of kissing and cuddling on the couch, there was a very loud knock at the door. Carlos slid me off his lap and went to the door and yanked it open and growled, "This better be important." I saw Tank walk in and hand him a file folder with a grim look on his face and an apologetic look my way. I gave him a finger wave.

After talking in low voices for a few minutes, Tank left and Carlos turned around and came back over to sit beside me on the couch placing the file folder on the table in front of us. He turned to me with a serious look on his face and said, "Babe, I didn't want to do this now, but we need to talk about the phone call I got last night."

I could see him trying to figure out where to start so I just took his hand in mine and waited. He looked down at our joined hands with a brief smile and started talking.

"I already told you I declined to renew my contract with the government. Since then they have been trying everything they can to pressure me into doing one last mission. They have offered me money, huge contracts, hell, they even offered me my own private island," he said ruefully.

"I offered them a compromise. I would help them plan the mission and personally train the men who would be executing it but unfortunately they didn't like my counter offer and they have gradually stepped their pressure up. They have made veiled threats against you and my family," he told me with a disgusted look on his face.

"Me?" I said with surprise. "Why would they be threatening me?"

"Babe, you have been on my radar for years. Everybody has known that I care for you, even when you were with Morelli," he said with a half smile.

I must have given him a strange look.

"Babe I made it known from the day I met you, on the street and around Trenton that you were under my protection and off limits. By the look of this," he held up the file Tank had brought to him, "some folks in DC have started asking question about our relationship."

"What exactly are they asking?" I asked him biting my lower lip in worry.

"It looks they are doing some background checks. Employment, vital stats and trying to check your credit report. They have been making contact with some local informants trying to figure out exactly what is up between you and me," he said while reaching out and pulling me in for a hug.

"I'm not sure what they are up to but I am not happy about it. They have also started nosing around Miami, asking questions about Julie, Rachel and Ron. I've put a couple more men on them but I would feel better if we were there," he said looking worried.

"Do you want to leave today? I want to get there as bad as you do. I know you want to check on Julie with your own eyes," I said giving him a small smile as I began to mentally figure out what we'd need to do to leave tonight.

"Babe. Knew that ESP would kick in for you eventually," he chuckled as he drew me in for a bone melting kiss.

"Do we need to cancel lunch with my parents?" I asked him in a hopeful voice. So sue me I'm not looking forward to my mother's reaction to our engagement.

"No Babe we'll go to lunch so we can tell them our news. I know I promised you Rossini's tonight but can I take you out tomorrow night instead? I have a great place in Little Havana in mind. They have great food and fantastic music for us to dance to. I want to get down and dirty with you on the dance floor," he told me looking at me with a sexy grin on his face.

"I want to show my hot, sexy and beautiful wife-to-be off to everybody," he said seductively into my ear as his hands ran up and down my arms before settling in my hair pulling me in for another bone melting kiss.

Holy hell! I think I may spontaneously combust I was so turned on.

"Ummmm, what was the question again?" I asked him in a dazed, lust filled voice.

"Babe," he said giving me a 1,000 watt smile.

"Yeah Carlos those plans sound wonderful. I can't wait to get down and dirty with you on the dance floor either," I replied while running my hands up his chest and around his neck, pulling him in for a hot kiss.

After a few minutes of hot and heavy kissing, he reluctantly pulled back and placed his forehead against mine.

"Babe as much as I'd love to take you into our bedroom and make love to your hot body, I have a couple of things to take care of before we can leave. Its 10:30 now, can you still be ready to go by 12:30?" he asked me as he made his way towards the front door.

"We'll go to your parents for lunch, then swing by the Bond's office, then head to Newark to the airport. We can still stop by my folks to give them the news. I'll call them and let them know we're stopping by today instead of tomorrow. We are going to have to have dinner with the family when we get back you know," he said smiling at me.

"Yeah I didn't think we'd get away that easy," I said laughing. I followed him into the hall while he waited for the elevator.

"Yeah Baby I can be ready. I just need to run down to my truck and get my bags so I can finish packing. Is there anything you need me to do for you before we leave?" I asked him while I wrapped my arms around his waist to hug him.

"I'll have Lester bring your stuff Babe. You just do what you need to do. My duffle is in the dressing room, can you throw my shaving stuff and tooth brush in for me? Also I want to take a couple of suits with me; can you pick those out? I'll need shirts and ties to match. I trust your choices Babe."

I smiled at him as I reached up to give him a kiss. "Don't worry Baby you look good in anything, but you look ever better in nothing," I said with a sexy smile on my lips.

He turned to me as he was stepping into the elevator and gave me a quick hard kiss as he said, "I'll see you in just a little bit and Babe be sure and wear something comfy for the flight because I think it's time we joined the Mile High Club."

I stood there with my mouth hanging open as I experienced a full body shiver thinking about making love to Carlos at 30,000 ft. Oh yeah I may actually enjoy this flight.

Damn there goes another pair of panties…ruined.